@aj Simply wrong based on the data. T-Metric, a company that measures these things, reports
Remote work delivers almost the same productive hours in less time. 6h 55m total → 5h 12m productive vs. office 7h 44m → 5h 17m.
Office work is longer, but less productive. +49 minutes added to the day, yet lower active share (~68.3%) and 2h 27m overhead/idle.
Typical mix of work modes: ~60% on-site, 27% hybrid, 13% remote.
RTO carries a quitting risk. 46% of work-from-home workers say they’d likely leave if remote work ended.
Focus wins at home. ~62% feel more productive, ~70% say deep work is easier; ~70 min/day saved on commute often converts to real work.
Cost upside is real. ~$11k per employee annual savings and smaller real-estate footprints with structured hybrid.
Then the revenues. The company's revenues, KPIs, performance, project completion rates and other items did not change in response to RTO3 and will likely be lower with RTO4. Stock buybacks and other factors drove the share price.
RTO programs are about control, reduced employee engagement and forced spending. They aren't about productivity, and if they were, companies should share in the value to cover the employee's expenses. An average 2.5% raise in a 4% inflation market has eroded any argument that wages cover commute expenses.